Destiny of the Wolf

Chapter 16

WAS THE WINE TALKING OR DID CAROL WOOD REALLY SEE things that others couldn’t? Lelandi wanted to question her further—alone, but Silva stuck close to her at the bar.

Lelandi gave a disgruntled sigh and handed her two bowls of chips. “Darien won’t let me serve anything to the tables or I’d help you out more.”

Silva gave her a smirk. “I’m used to the crowds. Think nothing of it.”

As soon as Silva skirted around the bar, Lelandi leaned over the counter and asked Carol, “Do you... see this for real?”

“What?”

Lelandi pursed her ups. “Do you see that I have triplets?”

Carol waved her hand at the tavern. “Multiple births abound in Silver Town. Darien’s a triplet. You’re a triplet. So sure, you’ll have triplets, too.”

“How did you know I was a triplet?”

Carol looked cross-eyed, then her blue eyes straightened. “Don’t you have a brother, too? I thought someone said you did.” She shrugged and rested her elbow on the counter, then leaned her head against her hand. “I think.”

Lelandi poured chips into another bowl.

“Your sister was pregnant with triplets. But you’ll be feeding yours at your breasts, juggling one after another when the time is right.”

Sam had moved closer and although he hadn’t looked In their direction, Lelandi was certain he’d heard. “You’re probably right, statistically speaking,” she said, not wanting anyone to know if Carol truly had psychic powers. But could she know anything about the tragedy that had befallen her sister? She had to find out when the woman was sober, and without big ears listening in on their conversation.

Silva came behind the bar and cast a glance in Trevor’s direction. He was looking their way, but Lelandi was certain he was watching her, not Silva. But Silva coyly smiled, then made her move on Sam. She kissed him on the cheek. Nothing too risqué or noteworthy, but Sam seized her arm, pulled her into a bear hug and started kissing her like they were in bed, getting ready for the big bang.

At first, Silva seemed taken aback, stiff, but when Sam kept working on her lips, Silva melted in the big guy’s arms, giving him as much as she was getting.

Lelandi glanced around at the now quiet tavern, saw Trevor watching, but no scowl marred his expression. Everyone else was rabidly entranced. Some amused.

Jake shook his head and slugged down some beer.

Tom took his eyes off Silva and Sam and smiled at Lelandi. Her body warmed with chagrin.

“Man,” Silva said, her voice low but because Lelandi was close enough she heard her words. “You never told me you knew how to melt a lady’s core.”

“Just needed the right woman to do the kiss justice.” Sam patted her rump. “Now get back to work.”

With a grin stretching across her face, she grabbed up another tray. “Hmm-hmm.”

Belatedly, several of the guys in the tavern whooped and cheered.

Silva’s face turned crimson.

“Wow,” Carol said. “Now, I wouldn’t mind a hunk like that kissing me either.

Then her head sank to the counter.

Lelandi shook her head and motioned to Jake, who hurried to the bar. “You want to go home now’?”

“Carol Wood needs a ride home. “

Jake waved at one of the grays at a table. “Take Ms. Wood to her place.”

The guy looked pissed, but nodded and carried Carol out of the tavern.

Right after that, a husky human male walked up to the bar and handed Lelandi a note. “Guy outside asked me to give this to you.”

Before she could take it, Jake pulled it out of the man’s hand. “Thanks. I’ll give it to her.”

Jake stood his ground as the man looked from the note to Lelandi. Finally, he shrugged. “All right. Whatever.” He gave Lelandi a sly smile, then sauntered over to one of the tables.

Jake opened the note, then shook his head. “Time to go.”

“It’s a note from...” She started to say, Darien, but then she realized Jake would have given it to her. Ural. She rounded the bar as if she planned to go with Jake, then snatched the note from his hand.

He could have taken it back, but instead gave her a superior smirk while he watched her read it. Ural. She’d recognize his scrawl anywhere. I’m coming for you, Lelandi. Be ready.

But he was in jail.

Jake motioned to Trevor, talked to him for a minute, then the deputy went to a table of grays. All six rose and headed outside.

“What if I wanted to stay longer?”

“I can tell you. It isn’t going to fly with Darien.” Jake took her arm, and he and Tom led her to his SUV.

“How did Ural get out of jail?” she asked.

“Apparently he had help,” Jake said, his voice dark.

When they saw Trevor and the other grays outside of the tavern, they shook their heads at Jakes questioning look. Maybe this time Ural had the sense to return home without her and leave well enough alone.

On the drive back to Darien’s house, Jake wore a perpetual smile and Lelandi finally asked. “What’s so funny?”

“You, for putting Silva up to kissing Sam at the bar. Won’t work, you know. Trevor won’t fall for it.”

“That’s the whole point, isn’t it?”

He glanced at her, his brow perplexed.

“Trevor’s not the right one for her.”

Tom laughed. “We have a matchmaker in our midst. Sonja said she’s getting too old to do it anymore. Now we have her replacement.”

“Ha!” Jake responded. “Everyone was relieved when she quit matching bachelors up with their intended mates.”

“The bachelors you mean were relieved,” Lelandi guessed.

“Well. I for one am ready for a mate,” Tom said. ‘Human girls don’t have what it takes.” He winked at Lelandi.

Having no plans to become Silver Town’s new matchmaker, she rolled her eyes. “I’m taking up psychology.”

Jake glanced at her. “You’ve okayed this with Darien?”

She folded her arms and stared out the windshield. If she wanted to become a psychologist, by god, she was going to do it.

Jake shook his head. “Let us know when you talk to Darien about this so Tom and I can be at the factory or mine for the day.”

She hmpfed. “I hope you weren’t too hard on Chester McKinley.”

“Trevor said he got intimate with you. I don’t think I’ve seen Darien so mad. Not only that, but when we checked into it, we discovered he was one of the ones who sent a vase of wildflowers to you. anonymously.”

Her mouth dropped slightly, then she recovered. “I’m not a member of this pack officially yet, and I damn well can do as I please. If I want to talk to Chester, It’s my business. And for your information he wasn’t intimate with me.”

‘We know you mated with Darien. It’s the real deal.” Tom said. “And that’s as official as it gets.”

Lelandi glowered at Tom over the back of the seat.

“Did you find out who the other anonymous guys were who sent flowers to her?” Jake asked Tom.

“They were much more discrete. Seems Chester McKInley wanted us to discover who he was easily enough. But I did find out that Joe Kelly was another.”

“Hell, what’s he up to?” Jake asked.

“Found out he bought Lelandi her first drink when she arrived at the tavern, too. Sam finally told me. Said it had slipped his mind because of the shooting incident.”

Tom chuckled darkly. “Darien better let everyone know she’s his soon or he’s going to be rescuing her from every bachelor’s clutches in the area.”

Boy, that would really make her popular with the pack.

When they arrived at the house, Jake sequestered Lelandi back in the guest bedroom. She guessed since Darien hadn’t officially declared they were mated, no one would put her in his room without his order. It really didn’t matter where she was. She Just wanted to be free to see her sister’s letter to Darien and locate her blasted gun. But Jake stayed with her and so that was the end of that.

He finally brought her downstairs for dinner, but Darien was noticeably absent. And Tom and Jake were keeping a real close eye on her. Because of Ural?

A shiver trailed up her spine. Who was here now who would have freed Ural? Had to be someone from her pack. And no doubt, to get into the jail, several had arrived. Which meant Bruin and his thugs must have found her. All of a sudden, she didn’t feel safe.

She asked again, “When’s Darien coming home?”

“Soon,” Jake said. He didn’t try to humor her, although Tom had tried to lighten the mood.

Finally, Jake motioned to the stairs. “It’s getting late.”

“I want to wait up for Darien.”

“He’ll come to you when he’s done with business.”

Exasperated, she retired to bed. But soon, Jake left her alone. She listened for any sounds outside the door. A guard would be posted.

She closed her eyes and listened, waiting for someone to come into the room. Then she inhaled deeply. Darien would come to her and wrap her in his heat. Then. nothing else would matter.

Something woke Lelandi from a deep sleep. She listened closely. Branches scratching at the window. She stared at the midnight blue comforter and wondered what happened to her forest green one. Realization hit her with a sick thud that she was in Darien’s home and not in her family’s, that her parents and sister had died, that Bruin might be here.

The scratching started up again and she glanced at the chair where someone sat during guard duty. No one still. Bathroom break?

A gentle rapping at the pane forced her heart to leap into her throat. She climbed out of bed, then peeled back one of the blue velvet window panels.

Standing on a ladder with his nose pressed against the glass, his hood up protecting him from the blowing snow, her cousin Ural scowled at her, motioned to the glass, and mouthed the words, “Open the damned window!”

“Ural, she said under her breath.

One of his eyes was swollen shut, his lower up was covered in dry blood, and he had a gash across his brow. She cursed and unlocked the window, then shoved it up.

Took you long enough, he growled, climbing inside. He shook off the snow from his coat and slipped his hood down.

“How did you know which room I was in? How’d you get out of jail?”

“Woke up and the door was open. Walked right out.”

Her skin grew clammy and she wrung her hands. “T—this is a setup.”

“Come away with me. I’ll take you somewhere safe.” He reached for her hair.

She stepped back. “Leave before they catch you.”

“You can’t mate with a gray. And when Bruin learns you’re here he’ll send a delegation for you. You won’t stand a chance. We can go across country where he can’t find us, start our own pack.”

Fearing he’d fly into a rage, she wasn’t about to tell him she’d mated Darien. “I’m staying here and finding out who murdered my sister.”

“See what hanging around grays got your sister? Someday you’ll thank me.” He pulled out a hypodermic needle.

“Ural, no!” she cried out.

He lunged for her, sending the bedside lamp crashing to the floor. She could have managed him herself and would have as she held his wrist, keeping the needle from jabbing her. But the bedroom door slammed open, and Darien, his brothers, and Deputy Trevor poured into the room like a river run amuck.

Jake pulled her free and rushed her out of the room as she tried to remain there to ensure the guys didn’t kill Ural.

“Let me go, Jake,” she screamed, but before she could twist free, he lifted her off her feet and hurried her into another bedroom.

She figured it was Darien’s room because she could smell his scent more heavily here, and she noted the pale blue comforter and seascapes hanging on the wall. Her sister’s favorite color and wish to live by the sea.

Jake dumped her on the bed. When she tried to bolt from it, he blocked her. “Stay!”

“I don’t want him killed.”

“We’re not barbarians.”

But she knew better. Pack laws. A rogue lupus garou had infiltrated another’s territory and tried to interfere with pack business. Even more than that. He tried to steal the pack leaders mate, which meant he could be terminated. Law of the wild prevailed. Might not have looked civilized to outsiders, but it had been their way for centuries, the way they had survived.

“I don’t want him killed,” she said again when Darien walked into the room, his face flushed.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Where are you taking him?”

“Back to Jail.”

She folded her arms. You set him up.”

“You wouldn’t tell us who he was. Now we know who and what he wanted.”

Darien motioned for Jake to leave. “Send Silva up in a few minutes.”

Lelandi didn’t like the look in Darien’s eyes. Feral, dark, and intense, making her believe he was ready to lose control in response to Ural’s actions. She rose from the bed and tried to brush past him, but he grabbed her arm and dragged her close. “This is your room from now on. Anyone tries to get to you in the other room, they’ll get a surprise. I’ve got to talk to Ural, then speak with Uncle Sheridan about some other matters. Try to get some sleep. I’ll wake you later.” His mouth sealed the promise with a kiss, but she was too mad to take the bait.

And she hadn’t even had a chance to make it clear she wanted Chester investigating her sisters death either. She looked as cross as she could. “If you hurt Ural, you might as well sleep in the other room—by yourself.”

Darien laughed and gave her another quick kiss on the lips. “In your dreams, Lelandi.” Then he stalked out of his room, and Silva walked in, shaking her head.

With Deputy Trevor, Uncle Sheridan, and Darien’s brothers looking on, Darien sat in the jail interrogation room across the table from the red, and growled, “If you’d stuck Leiandi with that needle, you’d be a dead man. So who the hell are you, and what do you want with her?”

“Name’s Ural. What would I want with the dead sister? I came for Larissa.”

Darien glanced at his brothers. Both shook their heads.

“Why did you want to return Larissa home then?” Darien asked, drawing Ural into the trap.

“She belongs to the pack leader’s brother. You can’t have her, too.”

“So Lelandi wasn’t mated.”

“No, she wasn’t mated.”

“Why not?”

Ural shrugged, but winced.

“How about guessing why not?” Darien said, his voice growing lower, more of a growl again.

The red’s split lip curled up. “She’s pretty headstrong.”

“So you’re saying Lelandi wouldn’t accept a mate.”

“Not Bruin’s brother. Besides, Larissa would never have mated another when she was already mated to the leader’s brother.”

“I see. There’s one problem with your story. Larissa gave me a letter stating she was mated to a red and hoped I’d forgive her for mating with me also.”

Ural’s jaw hung open.

“Furthermore,” Darien said, “our local doctor examined Lelandi, the living sister. She’d never been touched. Got another story?”

Ural tapped his fingers on the table, then crossed his arms over his chest, leaned back in the chair, and gave Darien a conceited look.

“Time’s up. Ural. Why did you come to take Lelandi back with you?”

“She doesn’t belong to your kind. Neither did her sister. Hell, you had to have known the woman had already been mated.” Ural leaned into the table and gave Darien a steely-eyed glower. “One of your people killed Larissa and now they’ll succeed with Lelandi if I don’t take her somewhere safe.”

“The man who set up the murder could have been Larissa’s prior mate.”

“Nope. I saw the shooter.”

“Like hell he did. This guy probably shot the gunman!” Uncle Sheridan roared and advanced on Ural, who looked like he was ready to have an early heart attack. “Hell, he probably is his pack’s clean-up man and was ordered to come here and take care of this mess.”

Ural cast a nervous glance at Uncle Sheridan, breathing down his neck like a giant grizzly ready to make a quick meal of him. I saw her,” Ural spit out.

Not sure what to believe. Darien wondered if Ritka, Angelina, or Hosstene had managed to sneak by them and kill the gunman. They were the only women who might have hired a killer, since they hated Larissa and Lelandi both.

Uncle Sheridan gave a half smile. “A woman? Really.”

Ural stuck his chin up, but wouldn’t look at Uncle Sheridan. “A woman from your pack.”

“You know her? To see her, you can identify her?” Darien asked, sitting on the edge of his chair. He wasn’t sure he could trust Ural, but If the red had been a witness to the shooting—

“Yeah, I’d know her.” Ural gave a satisfied smirk and wiggled his brows. “For a gray, she has one hell of a sweet ass.”

Before Darien could stop him, Uncle Sheridan hit Ural in the head with his fist so hard, he knocked him out cold, and Ural fell to the floor in a ragged lump.

“Damn it, Uncle Sheridan!” Darien jumped to his feet and waved his hand at Ural. ‘What the hell did you do that for!”

“He had the nerve to talk lewd about one of our women. Son of a bitch.”

Darien placed his fists on his hips and glowered at his uncle. “Trevor, get some water to splash on Ural. Tom, call Nurse Grey in. just in case Uncle Sheridan did some major damage to Ural with that iron fist of his. Jake, take a break.”

The three hurried out of the room and Jake shut the door.

An intimidating figure even when he didn’t mean to be, Uncle Sheridan stood taller and towered over Darien by four inches. But even so, Darien could have knocked his uncle out he was so mad. “We nearly had something to go on!” He ran his hands through his hair. “Why don’t you... check out some more leads on the blackmailing scheme.”

Uncle Sheridan had the nerve to look unremorseful and for a tense minute, he stood his ground. Then he bowed his head slightly. “As you wish. But I’m not sorry. Tell that son of a bitch if he says anything more about our women. I’ll hit him harder.” He stalked out of the room and slammed the door on his way out.

Jake peered in through the small window in the door and knocked.

“Come in.” Darien crouched next to Ural and felt his pulse. Thank god, he had one.

“Do you think Ural’s making it up?” Jake leaned over Ural with a cold pack and applied it to the side of his head.

“I thought so briefly. But if he wanted to make something up, why not say it was some guy he didn’t know? I think he was up there, saw her, and knows who she is.”

“Silva was the only woman there.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. What about Ritka or one of her two girlfriends?”

Jake’s eyes widened. “Ah. Yeah. Good candidates. Although I doubt with the way Ritka’s eye was swollen, she could have seen well enough to shoot. But Hosstene and Angelina, that’s another story.”

“See if either of them have an alibi. And question everyone who might have smelled the women’s scents.”

“Will do.”

Tom knocked on the door. Darien rose from his crouched position and waved at him to come In. Trevor followed him in, carrying a bucket of water.

“Nurse Grey’s on her way.” Tom shook his head. “Uncle Sheridan’s in a real snit.”

“He’s been like that ever since he had to cut his vacation short.” Trevor splashed some cold water on Ural’s face.

The red didn’t move.

Darien swore under his breath. “No one is to beat on him any further, understand? I want to know who shot the gunman.”

“I’ll question some folks like you asked, Jake said.

“I’ll stay with him and see if he comes to,” Toni offered.

Nurse Grey walked into the room and looked at Ural passed out on the floor, his shirt, face, and hair wet. “What happened now?”

Silva sat on the edge of Darien’s bed and gave Lelandi a small smile. “Sugar, don’t worry about the red they’ve got in jail. They won’t kill him, although that was a pretty stupid thing he pulled. How was he going to ferret you away after he pumped you full of drugs?”

“He never was much to think things out ahead of time.” Lelandi stretched on the bed, dressed in her jeans and sweater again. “If Darien or any of his men kill him, I won’t be staying.”

Silva’s eyes grew huge. “Oh, honey, you can’t mean that. You’re mated to Darien now. You can’t leave him.”

Then she narrowed her eyes. “The reds related to you, isn’t he?”

Do you know what became of Chester McKinley after Darien made him leave?”

Silva tilted her head to the side. ‘Why?”

“I thought he could help us solve Larissa’s murder.”

“After the incident at the tavern. Darien sent him packing.”

Damn Darien. Fine. She’d take matters into her own hands then.

“Will you be all right? I have a date with Sam tonight after we close the tavern.”

“For show, right?” Lelandi hoped she was wrong and that Silva finally realized Sam was right for her.

Silva gave her a slip of a smile. “Sure. Just for show until Trevor gets the point. I’ll tell you how it goes. Can you sleep?”

“No.”

Sliva turned on the television and flipped through the channels. “Ah. here’s one of Julia Wildthorn’s romances made Into a movie. Want to watch it?”

“Sure.”

“See ya in the morning, sugar.”

“Have a good time.”

“Thanks, ‘night.”

Silva left the bedroom and greeted Darien on the stairs. “Lelandi is going to watch a movie.”

Lelandi ground her teeth.

“Are you going back to work?”

“Yes, sirree, boss. Just as soon as I move some of my clothes from the washer to the dryer. Sam will be firing my butt if I keep using Lelandi as an excuse.”

“Tell him Lelandi takes priority.” Darien entered the bedroom.

Leiandi folded her arms and glowered at him. “What did you do with Ural?”

“He’s staying in jail for a while. After what he pulled with you, that’s the only place he’s going.” Darien gave Lelandi a hug, but she tensed. “What movie are you going to watch?”

“One of Julia Wiidthorn’s werewolf romance novels made for television. By the Light of the Moon.”

Hmm.” He nuzzled her cheek and rubbed her shoulders. and she began to dissolve under his insistent touch. “After I discuss business with my brothers and Uncle Sheridan, I’ll show you what real lupus garous do in the name of love.”

He kissed her lips, his hands massaging her breasts through her blouse and was really getting worked up when Jake shouted, “Uncle Sheridan’s here. And Tom’s Just arrived.”

Darien let out a husky growl. “Be back in a bit.”

“I’ll be ready and waiting.” She gave him a sweet smile and leaned back against the pillows.

As soon as Darien shut the door, she flew into action. Somehow, she had to sneak into his office downstairs and see if she could find anything of importance there. But first, she searched through his bedside tables, and her heart did a flip when she spied Larissa’s letter. She grabbed the letter and read through it, and nearly quit breathing.

I wished with all my heart to be who you thought I was. When I found the right man, it was too late for me to take back what I’d done to you.

Her sister had another lover? My god, no wonder Darien had been upset when he read the letter. But it confirmed what Silva had said about Larissa seeing some miner. Then the sickening thought swamped Lelandi. What if the triplets weren’t Darien’s?

Hospital records. She had to get into town and search for Larissa’s records and know for sure. Maybe the doctor said something about her depression, or gave some other clue that might aid her investigation.

She opened the bedroom window, letting in a gust of snowy wind, and peered out. A rose trellis clung next to the brick wall. If it could hold her weight, she’d make it. She searched In Darien’s closet and found a well worn leather jacket that smelled of him, and she took a deep breath and inhaled his sexy essence. He’d kill her for slipping away. But she was damned tired of being confined and kept in the dark. And if he was going to ignore her wishes to have Chester on the case...

She shoved on her boots and Dariens leather jacket, the size overwhelming her. After searching through his closet further, she couldn’t locate any gloves.

Car keys.

Rummaging through Darien’s chest of drawers, she found spare keys for his SUV and something metallic hidden under a pile of socks. Shoving them aside, she gasped. Her gun! And the bullets. She reloaded it and made sure the safety was on, then tucked it in one of the big pockets of his jacket.

Looking out the window, she considered the drop from the second story. As long as nothing dangerous was hidden in the snowdrift beneath the window, she should be fine. She climbed onto the windowsill, then swung around, grasping the wooden trellis. The flimsy redwood gave way with a snap, her heart flew into her throat, and she fell on her butt in the pile of snow. She was having a very bad feeling about this.

The powdered snow cushioned her fail, and she let out her breath in relief. Once she was able to plow her way out of the snow pile, she rushed to reach his SUV. The door locks were frozen and it took longer than she liked to get the driver’s door open. After climbing in, she slammed the door, hoping Darien and his family hadn’t heard.

She planned to return before Darien even missed her, although she’d have to come in the front door, but at least she’d learn what she could about her sister.

As soon as she drove out of the drive and hit the road, she realized how bad the visibility and treacherous the conditions had become. Darien’s country home provided more privacy for lupus garou gatherings, but right now the two-mile stretch of country road seemed more like fifty. But she was free and she couldn’t stop now.

The wipers swiped across the windshield at full speed, but the snow piled up so fast, she couldn’t see a thing and wondered if she was even on the road any longer. Sheesh, that was an awful thought.

The SUV began to slide. Turn the tires into the slide? No, away from the slide. Hell, who could remember? The next thing she knew, the SUV sailed into the woods. She held her breath before the vehicle lunged into a steep embankment, taking a nosedive into something solid. The impact threw her hard against the steering wheel. Pain radiated through her chest. Bang! Something exploded. A blanket of white filled her vision.

For a moment, she sat dazed. I’m in heaven. Except for the pain in her chest and her throbbing head that jolted her back to reality. The air bag deflated like a parachute that had lost all its wind, but the scene in front of her was still cloaked in white. The snow blew through the windshield crumbling in a spider web of glass crystals, courtesy of the force of the air bag.

Snow swirled around inside the SUV, and a cold wetness dribbled down her forehead. Reaching up. she felt a gash on her forehead. Blood painted her fingertips red. Great. Just great. How was she to do her sleuthing? Not to mention Darien would really want to murder her now for turning his SUV on its nose in a pile of snow or rock, or whatever it had managed to slam into.

“Well, there’s bound to be hell to pay anyway.” she muttered under her breath, and Jerked her seat belt free, then struggled to open the door. Wedged tight, the frame had crumpled with the impact. Super. She eased herself over the console and tried the passenger door. Same result. Growling under her breath, she leaned back in the seat and kicked through the remaining broken glass.

After crawling out of the SUV’s window, she slid over the hood, still warm, the snow quickly melting into a frozen glaze, which left her jeans wet. The cold wind whirling around her turned the denim fabric into ice. Blowing snow blinded her. But she was probably closer to town than to Darien’s house at this rate anyway. No sense in trying to hike back. Although survivalists said, “Stay with the vehicle.” But town couldn’t be very far. And she had a mission to accomplish. She was certain the doc would have written about her sister’s frame of mind during the pregnancy, maybe some clue about what was going on. And after reading her sister’s letter about the affair she’d been having, Lelandi couldn’t block the feeling something more was wrong.

A little snow and cold wouldn’t stop her now.

Darien shook his head at Uncle Sheridan, while Tom and Jake looked on in the living room. “We’re not making an example of Ural. If he has accomplice’s intent on coming for Lelandi, they’ll come. We’ll deal with them then. For now, he’s fine where he is. What I want to discuss is who was blackmailing Larissa, how she died, and who hired the gunman to kill Lelandi. But first, any word on Ural, Tom?”

“Still out cold. Nurse Grey had us move him to the hospital. He’s confined and Trevor’s pulling guard duty. Charlotte said she’d let us know when he came around.”

Looking unruffled, Uncle Sheridan set his pad of paper on the coffee table. “Here’s what I’ve learned so far. We’ve run ballistics tests on all guns purportedly taken out in the woods the day the shooter killed the gunman. No matches. Which means either the test rules out it was one of our men, one of them had a second gun and gave us the wrong one to test, or the shooter was one of our men, except none of us knew he was out there.

“Or,” Silva said, walking into the living room, carrying a load of laundry.... it was a woman.”

Darien wondered how Silva had learned of the news so fast. But she always knew the gossip well before anyone else did. His brothers and Uncle Sheridan gave him shakes of their heads or shrugged a shoulder, indicating they hadn’t told her. Trevor. “Only woman out there was you. And you were with Sam the whole time.”

Uncle Sheridan snorted. “As if any of our women could shoot that far or accurately.”

Silva’s back stiffened. “I did.”

Hell, what now? Darien motioned to a chair. Have a seat, Silva. Tell us what you know.”

She plunked down next to Tom. “I didn’t say anything before because I knew you’d be mad that I’d killed him. I did it by accident. I swear it. We were sure the gunman was stalking us. So Sam told me to take his gun and go up on the ridge. If the bastard came after me, I was to shoot him. But he went after Sam and although Sam tried to tackle him first, the guy got a shot off, hitting him in the arm Instead. I meant to hit the guy’s gun arm, but he bolted when Sam dove for him, and I struck the gunman in the head. I swear I didn’t mean to. When Lelandi said she figured the shooter killed the guy to tie up loose ends, I got scared. Sam didn’t want to say anything either because you’d given orders that we were to stick together. He assumed you’d learn who the guy was who hired the gunman without involving me. But it seems you already know the shooter’s a woman so...” She shrugged.

“Sam knows better.” Darien blew out his breath. “Did you have Sam’s gun checked. Uncle Sheridan?”

He looked peeved. “Hell no. The lunatic shot Sam. I thought he and Silva had stayed together. At least that’s what they led us to believe. I would never have guessed she killed the gunman.”

“Run a ballistics test on Sam’s gun. I want to know right away. And Silva, next time, tell the truth.”

“Yes, boss. I’m so sorry. I well, I couldn’t let you think some shooter was out there still gunning for her.”

More likely she figured she was about to be found out when Ural came to. “Damn it, Silva,” Darien said. “You knew how important this is.”

“I’m sorry, boss.”

“When you were up on the ridge, did you sense anybody else up there? Smell anyone, hear anyone?”

“I didn’t smell or see anyone either. But I was pretty worried about the gunman and Sam so I might have blocked everything else out. Once I shot the guy, I hurried down to check on Sam and see if the guy was alive.”

Uncle Sheridan said. “You made a fine mess of it. And although you’re probably not involved in this, it sure can make tongues wag.”

“I only meant to wound him. All right? I’m... I’m late getting back to the tavern. Can I go?” Silva asked Darien.

He bowed his head, but he still couldn’t believe Silva was the one who’d killed the gunman.

Looking dejected, Silva hurried to the front door. From the foyer, she yelled, “Have you guys seen how bad the storm is getting?”

Darien and the others joined her and considered the whiteout conditions. “You’d better stay the night. Call Sam and tell him I said so.”

She sighed. “All right. I’ll be in the den watching a show. If anyone needs me to fix something to eat later, just holler.” Silva headed for the den.

Itching to return to Lelandi and smooth things out with her. Darien and the others retook their seats in the living room and he asked, “Anything else?”

Uncle Sheridan flipped through his pad of notes again. ‘Mason reviewed bank accounts to see if anyone had received large amounts of money before Larissa’s death. No one had. Which could mean that whoever was blackmailing her kept bank accounts somewhere else. So that was inconclusive. Jake found out some more stuff though.”

Jake took a sip of his beer. “Since we couldn’t find money in a local account. Trevor and Peter questioned folks to see if anyone bragged about receiving lots of money. Mrs. Hastings’s aunt died in a neighboring town. She received a substantial inheritance and put in the outdoor sauna and enclosed the deck to expand the bed and breakfast.”

“She’s above reproach.” Darien said.

“We thought so, too, but we had to double check every story.”

Tom walked back into the room with a Coke. “Then there’s Ritka.

Darien sat up taller. She’d certainly hated both Larissa and Lelandi, and she definitely could be suspect.

“She bragged she won at the tables In Las Vegas, Angelina and Hosstene vouched for her, but you know how thick they are.”

“Did the amount she won match up with how much was stolen?”

“Her winnings amounted to about a fourth of what the blackmailer had received.”

Deep In thought, Darien rubbed his chin, “What If the three women were in on it together?”

“We had the same Idea. If Angelina and Hosstene got any extra money, they hid it somewhere, aren’t spending it, and aren’t telling,” Jake said.

Darien mulled that one over. “Anyone else have any suspicious money dealings?”

“Nope.” Uncle Sheridan flipped to the next page of his notepad. “Concerning the family who wanted to join our pack, they’d heard you were a fair pack leader. As far as training, the man is a lumberman by trade. His brother is a male nurse. The mother makes Jewelry and is a renowned artist in her trade. The girls are in school. One wants to be a lawyer someday. The other hasn’t decided. Both girls want to help out when the ski lifts are running.”

“And the reason they left their former pack?”

“The leader, who was highly respected, died. Another took over and they couldn’t live with his rule.”

“We could really use the brother who’s a male nurse. If we learn the family is troublesome in the future, we can release them from the pack. But for now, they can stay,” Darien said. “What about the smell of rotten leaves at the site where we discovered Lelandi in the woods?”

Uncle Sheridan nodded. “It’s kind of a hollow and lots of leaves have collected there. Wet and shaded, it’s the perfect environment for making compost.”

But Darien figured whoever the attempted murderer was had to be wearing one of those hunter sprays that either made his scent invisible to others—even to bloodhounds, which could pick up the more subtle scents more so than any other animal including lupus garous—or he was wearing that humus type spray to blend in with the smell of the forest.

Jake cleared his throat. “Carol Wood keeps asking to speak to you about adding another nurse position.”

“Tell her it’s not possible.”

“She’ll have a fit when she learns we added another when we said no to hiring her,” Jake said.

“Tell her he was hired some weeks ago but just got here, if she asks. The woman will have to learn that when I say no, I mean no. What about the other two vases of flowers sent anonymously to Lelandi?”

“Still haven’t discovered the identity of the buyers. But the flowers her parents supposedly sent?” Tom said. “Ural bought and paid for them.”

Darien swore under his breath. “Doesn’t he know how upsetting that is for her? Giving her false hope that her parents are alive?”

“That’s another thing,” Uncle Sheridan said. “Chester McKinley informed me he located them.”

“What? Where are her parents supposed to be?”

Uncle Sheridan’s face darkened. “He wouldn’t say. If you want to hire him as a P.I.. he’ll share his information.”

“Damn him anyway.” Darien lifted his beer mug. “All right, schedule a meeting for a couple of hours from now. Anything else?”

“Nothing else. I’ll check Sam’s gun.”

“Think you can make it out in this weather?”

“No snowstorm has ever kept me homebound. Call you later.” Uncle Sheridan grabbed his Jacket, shoved his hat on, and left.

“I’ll see you both when Chester gets here,” Darien said to his brothers.

Intending to show Lelandi how lame Julia Wildthorn’s romance stories were compared to the real thing, Darien headed up the stairs. He couldn’t help how annoyed he was with Silva and Sam over the shooter incident though.

How many man hours had his men spent on the case, wasted now that they knew Silva was the shooter?

A man and woman were getting it on with all the moaning and groaning he heard on the television in the bedroom. He hoped Lelandi’s movie had gotten her in the mood for some real lupus garou sex and that she wasn’t still miffed with him over Ural. He gave Peter a nod, then opened the door to the bedroom and closed it.

She wasn’t in bed, no sound came from the bathroom, and the window was wide open. A willful breeze blew in snow all over the carpet. His blood running cold, Darien raced over to the window and peered out. Two of the rungs on the rose trellis were broken and the imprint of a body had impacted with the snowdrift.

“Peter! Jake! Tom! Lelandi’s gone!” He didn’t see any sign of a struggle, but it didn’t matter. If her past history was any indication of her current situation, she could be in real danger.

Peter flung the bedroom door open.

Jake yelled. “I’ll call Uncle Sheridan.”

“Tell him to notify Trevor since he’s taking care of the prisoner if she has a mind to try and free him.” Darien ran down the stairs with Peter on his heels.

“If she does try?”

“Trevor can throw her in a Jail cell until I get there. damn it!”

Tom offered, ‘I’ll call reinforcements to search the town for her.

“The woman is an absolute menace to herself!”

Darien swore he’d tie her to the bed, and there she’d remain until he eliminated Larissa’s killer.